The 1997 NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament was the 41st annual single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division II college basketball in the United States. The tournament officially culminated the , featuring forty-eight teams from around the country. The national quarterfinals (Elite Eight), semifinals, and championship were played at the Commonwealth Convention Center in Louisville, Kentucky. It was also NKU's second consecutive loss in the national championship game, having lost to Fort Hays State in 1996.